This multidisciplinary T32 competitive renewal application will allow trainees at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) to continue to successfully launch research careers in lung diseases. At this time, this Texas Medical Center based grant is the only T32 pulmonary research training program in eight contiguous southern states. Superb training opportunities exist at BCM in a number of areas, highly relevant to lung diseases. Trainees are recruited and selected from a large pool of outstanding applicants to BCM training programs in pulmonary as well as to individual mentors laboratories. Continuation of five postdoctoral trainee positions annually is requested, an increase from four in current cycle. Trainees are competitively selected for appointments to the T32 training program for two to three years of rigorous scientific training. Multi- disciplinary seventeen faculty members have been carefully selected from various departments to serve as mentors, based on their excellence in research and teaching. Most of the faculty are linked by collaborative research interests which have been strengthened during the previous period of this training program. Mentors in this program have strong record of federal funding and training experience. They provide training opportunities in allergic inflammation, innate and adaptive immunity, asthma and emphysema pathogenesis, cystic fibrosis, skeletal muscle biology, Nano-medicine, stem cell research, chemokine biology, adhesion molecules, signal transduction, molecular genetics, lung remodeling, cellular immunology, murine models of inflammation, infection and immunity, acute respiratory pathogens, tuberculosis, and clinical trial outcome analysis. Trainees enroll in graduate school courses and BCM NIH K30 supported Clinical Scientist Training Program, to acquire a sound fund of knowledge in basic science and pulmonary, the principles of conducting clinical research, and the ethical conduct of research. Trainees will be comprehensively mentored in hypothesis driven research, preparation and publication of manuscripts, presentations at national meetings, preparation of grant proposals, and skills for teaching and mentoring, and academic career development. The goal of this training program is to continue to develop pulmonary physician-scientists and researchers who will serve as future academic leaders.